Tag Archives: Jeff Buckley

Born on February 21 1933 was one of the best Jazz singers to ever walk this earth, being nominated fifteen times for the Grammy award she has beckoned success ever since her career started. As well as a singer she was a pianist, songwriter and Civil Rights Activist. Much of her music has been used in media and still is heavily used today. I hope that I do her enough justice because her music is like no other, not one single other artist even comes close to her style.

The first thing you notice when you listen to Nina Simone is her voice it is like nothing you have heard before, some thinks she has a male voice. Her voice is that unique. She puts every ounce of passion she has into her music, her voice is so soulful but the kind of soul that give you chills down your spine (This is meant in a good way). It is the kind of voice that is hard to copy, that kind of voice can only be produced from the heart. Another thing is her genre of music, she herself did not like to think she had a genre of music and I don’t blame her. Her music was very diverse although she had a strong jazz voice she was also able to produce hits on R&B, Pop, soul, folk and gospel. It is a surprise how her voice is able to suit the different genres, she can reach notes that will surprise. A lot of her music has been re-mixed and has been sung over, a lot of her music was loved by people from many genre backgrounds. I think a lot of people used her music not only because of what it sounded like but the strong message that it came with.

Her music has been used so much in music (obviously), movies and adverts, it is quite crazy. Her music has had a heavy influence on the music industry as it is used in completely different genres like hip hop. A good example of that is one song that was sung by Mary J. Blige which features Simone and Wil.I.Am, it is very good to see how her voice fits in with this kind song. A lot of artists are also influenced by Nina Simone too for example Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Jeff Buckley, John Legend and Lauryn Hill.

I first heard her voice in a shopping centre when I was really young at that time it had no effect on me. I remember because when I heard it again in the Cod Liver Oil Medicine Ad, it triggered a memory. The song was “Ain’t Got No Life, I got Life”. I started to listen to more of her music after I saw the ad at the time I was grown up and it was a lot easier to get hold of music. I got the Legend Album which I thought was great, it was like nothing I had heard before there was so much diversity in the album. I quickly began to like other tracks like “To Be Young, Gifted and Black” and “I Put A Spell On You”, she was achieving a range of notes that just amazed me and it was all on one song.

Nina Simone is a singer who came and influenced music all over the world in a massive and mesmerising way, there was and will be no singer like her. She is being remembered all the time, it was such a great thing that she was recognized for all her work outside music as Civil Rights Activist. When you listen to her music you notice that you have at least heard her voice before somewhere, because of her popularity people paid tribute anyway they could. Whilst alive her music was being used in the same way. It is sad she has come and gone but she and her music will never be forgotten.